“What’s the monetary value of human civilization? Trying to answer that question proves you are a moral and practical idiot.”

― Kim Stanley Robinson, The Ministry for the Future

The Ministry of the Future is a speculative fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson and is perhaps the best example of how to do an environmental book right. The story is set in our present world in the near future. The consequences of reckless environmental negligence have caught up with humanity, and when a heat wave crashes over the Indian subcontinent, millions die indiscriminately from exposure. Nations bicker and fight over what to do, or whether or not to do anything at all, and, in the end, that is exactly what happens: the oil wells continue to run and columns of fire tower into the atmosphere as refineries continue to burn.

The book’s protagonist, Mary Murphy, is disgusted by the self-serving attitudes of world leaders and corporations and begins to leverage what little power she has as the secretary for the Ministry for the Future, an underfunded and under-respected UN agency dedicated to advocating for future generations of humans. The book follows her journey, building the momentum needed for change and exploring the real-world propositions to combat climate change, the challenges these techniques may face, and how they may realistically be implemented and accommodated for political climates and economic needs.

The Ministry for the Future is quite a refreshing read in the doom-ringing subgenre of environmental fiction. Yes,  the road ahead is rife with opposition and greed, but with the right amount of determination and measured optimism, a better future is possible, and it is closer than you may think.